


ten thousand days of solitude

by highvalyrian



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Future, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Development, Character Study, Comfort/Angst, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, F/F, F/M, Five Years Later, Flashbacks, Future Fic, Hurt/Comfort, POV Azula (Avatar), POV Ty Lee (Avatar), Reunions, Slow Burn, Tags to be added, Work In Progress, azula is in a mental institution, but there are some minor ones in the beginning, does not follow korra canon, tyzula - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:28:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24252094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/highvalyrian/pseuds/highvalyrian
Summary: Five years after the events of the Hundred Year War, Azula has been locked away on an isolated island where she is treated for insanity at a clinic for the most deranged in the Fire Nation. After unearthing the terrors that occur behind closed doors, Ty Lee has made it her goal to keep her safe.By any means necessary.
Relationships: Azula/Ty Lee (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong/Sokka
Comments: 32
Kudos: 127





	1. i.

They called the tiny island Anquan, and it only held one building. The Anquan Asylum and Rehabilitation Center for the Mentally Unstable held the most psychotic, most deranged persons within the Fire Nation, and it was only completed a few months ago. Almost daily was someone killed within those walls, despite the highly skilled security that watched over these patients. Men and women alike resided here, though the building was split so that only during outdoor time could they make contact (albeit behind a chained fence that separated their sides).

"It was the only place we could put her," Zuko said that day whilst showing the rest of Team Avatar (plus Ty Lee and Mai) one of his first decrees as Fire Lord. "I couldn't lock her up in a cell for the rest of her life. She’d probably start a riot and become the warden a few days in." He laughed at his own joke, causing the others around him to crack smiles. However, there was some truth in what he was saying— Azula did have it in her to incite a riot, and her charismatic personality would have definitely made the other inmates fall under her command.

Ty Lee knew firsthand how dangerous she was, and yet she accepted Zuko's request to visit Anquan just to see how she was fairing. 

The group had made their ways off their ship, looking in amazement at the fortified structure in front of them. Toph and Zuko had worked together to organize earthbenders and firebenders in deconstructing an inactive volcano that originally settled the island, building the asylum in its place. Remnants of where the volcano once stood could be seen around the island, with jagged rocks being used in an archway that fed into the building. Ty Lee found the structure on the outside to be exactly the same as a prison, but the calming faces of nurses waiting for the group outside the doorway begged to differ.

The woman to Ty Lee's right spoke first, her hands clasped in front of a crimson red uniform. "Welcome to Anquan, Fire Lord Zuko and friends. We will be accompanying you on your tour today of our fine facility. I am Jiao—"

"And I am Daiyu," the other finished. "We hope you will enjoy your time here today. Shall we get started?" The two women seemed eerie in their stance, but with Zuko's nod they turned and entered the facility. Ty Lee was on better terms with the Avatar and his friends after joining the Kyoshi Warriors, especially after Suki's adamant testaments to her changed personality. It wasn't that she changed, because her bubbly personality was still quite there, but her loyalties had shifted from the Fire Nation, Azula personally, to helping the world and the Kyoshi Warriors in defending it.

She trailed in the back of the group, entering inside the building last and watching as the double doors shut behind her— hard, solid, and forced. The hallway was well lit where they entered, a series of torches burning on the walls yet surrounded by a cage of chains, perhaps to prevent patients from burning themselves or using the fire inside to break free. Maybe they were made specifically for Azula. 

A red carpet led the group down their path. Occasionally, Ty Lee could see blotched and damp marks on the flooring that made her less than eager to meet the patients. Where they were in the asylum was a hall cleared for the Fire Lord and his friends. There were no patients in sight— however they were soon to be arriving at the cells.

One of the women who guided them finished speaking, and Ty Lee could only make out something about reform. Zuko then stated to the group, "If this plan goes well, it would be ideal to have asylums built across the continent. That way, we can make our prisons specifically for criminals, and patients who need help can come here to learn."

"And you think Azula will learn?" Katara spoke up. When Ty Lee flicked her gaze to the waterbender, her aura read red. Burning with betrayal and anger, it seemed directed at Aang who let Toph separate him physically from his girlfriend. She was on edge, likely a fight causing them to act their separate ways, though as she slithered closer towards Zuko her vibrant red seemed to thin out. 

Ty Lee was always observant, and she prided herself on Azula's comments regarding her inquisitive nature. Although she was awfully loud and joyful, her eyes never skipped a beat when analyzing a group of people. Azula was masterful and wary, but Ty Lee was more or less curious, which made her understanding far greater in this situation. "I think my sister is broken." Zuko finished his thoughts at that, yet she felt he was holding back more.

Even she saw Azula as someone who hurt herself more than she hurt others. The Fire Nation princess was a damaged piece of porcelain, something that was broken and covered up to hide the damage that was done. She was never fixed, but held back her emotions so everyone saw the perfect image of nobility. Mai was similar—an unreadable doll— but once the war ended and she spent more time with Zuko, she began to reveal her true nature. Even now, standing next to her Fire Lord boyfriend, her grey aura was beginning to blossom into something Ty Lee could finally read and decipher.

Following the two women, the entire group turned a corner. As they walked, Ty Lee noticed a collection of paintings adorning the walls. They seemed sequential, and all depictions of battles that occurred during the war. The Avatar and the Northern Water Tribe, where his Avatar state demolished the Fire Nation troops; the takeover of Omashu; the final conflict with Ozai. Everything was there, oil pastels remarking the entire war for guests to see. However, Ty Lee only realized after her musings that the invasion of Ba Sing Se was nowhere to be found. Despite her large presence in the war, Azula was erased from history.

The group stopped, and as Ty Lee was distracted by the paintings on the wall she nearly crashed into Suki and Sokka. One of the nurses spoke up, a fake smile plastered on her face to promote her façade of security. "We will be entering the patient wing in a moment."

The other followed quickly, "Please refrain from interacting with any and all within the wing. It is currently outdoor time, though some may be wandering the halls as they prefer staying indoors."

"And Azula?" Zuko asked, and Ty Lee was wondering the same. Knowing her as well as she did, Azula likely would stay within her own cell to plot the demise of everyone else around her, or would interact with all to find the most trusting and loyal of allies.

"She has been sent to her own private cell after some difficulties with her roommate. It’s only for a short period of time, but she has lost her privileges to go out." The two women bowed, then pushed open a new set of doors that instantly led the group into a room full of withering souls. As Ty Lee stepped in, her eyes were foggy with the amount of grey that blurred her vision. Only women wandered the area, and as they saw the group their interests were piqued.

"Blooddish, cattle," one hummed as they walked past. She was old and her back bent forward far more than it should have. "Eat your supper, child. You’ll get sick if you don't." She stared at a wall directly across from her, before her head moved slowly to meet the eyes of Ty Lee. With a wicked curled grin, the lady began laughing and Ty Lee forced herself to look away.

Tables and worn-down chairs filled the room's space, with childish puzzles and games littered across the floor. There weren’t many inside, and the ones that were had to have been older than fifty. All wore a pink-tinted suit, with icy shackles keeping their feet close together.

"All of our patients wear ice shackles to prevent firebending," Daiyu murmured. "They sleep in cold cells at night so they can't use their bending on staff."

Zuko seemed to grimace, and Ty Lee could see why. His own sister, the ruthless, cunning Azula, was likely freezing in her own private cell, dark thoughts eating away at the guilt and paranoia she faced after years of fear and manipulation by her own father. Ty Lee was turning pale, and her feet were starting to lag behind on the ground. If what her worst fears were showing, Azula would be nothing but a shivering stick.

Aang seemed more concerned about the rest of the patients. "Is that safe? Too much cold could really damage a firebender."

"Not to worry,” Jiao soothed as she forced another toothy smile. "If they choose to go outdoors, they will not have to wear the ice shackles. It tends to be only the old folk and non-benders who stay inside, so you are much safer in here with them."

_ Safer? _ Ty Lee couldn't help turning back to face the old woman. Her eyes were closed, but her grin was still present and facing directly at her. "How far is Azula's cell?" she asked, now eager to leave the other patients.

"Right this way. She is quite a difficult woman, but her progress has been remarkable throughout the months. We were worried she would never recover, but it seems she just needed a little push in the right direction."

They left the main room of patients, passing by more red-clothed staff rushing down the hall towards the rec room they were in just moments ago. Daiyu and Jiao turned right, passing by an array of metal cells with cowering women shivering from the cold inside. Ty Lee could see the frost along the walls, seeping over the metal and creating an impenetrable iceberg inside. They passed dozens before finally reaching a solid door at the end of the hallway. Instead of metal bars creating traditional cells for the patients, it was a solid door that kept anyone inside trapped.

"Your sister is in here." The only part of the door that wasn’t solid metal was a small barred window that allowed Zuko to peer inside. Just as he touched his fingers to the bars, he recoiled back and exhaled a plume of cold air from his mouth. His eyes went wide, and the rest of the group jumped back at his surprise. While Mai reached closer to him, he stumbled into Katara's body and nearly knocked her over into one of the guiding women.

When he finally got upright and Katara helped brush his Fire Lord robes back into place, he shot a pointed finger at the women. "You’re keeping her in  _ here _ ? That’s... that's inhumane! You can't do that!" He was panting now, and Ty Lee swore she could see froth spit from the corner of his mouth. As she huddled closer to Mai and gripped her arm, she cast a nervous look towards the frozen grey door in fear of what was inside.

Jiao and Daiyu seemed completely nonchalant despite Zuko's reaction. The former spoke up, her slightly deeper voice allowing Ty Lee to differentiate between the two. "I can assure you Fire Lord Zuko, she is safe as your decree demanded. We even have another woman in a room just like this at the opposite end of the hall."

Daiyu continued with slight optimism laced in her words. "Besides, we couldn't keep her in a traditional two-person cell after the incident with her roommate. You read the file report, haven't you?" Zuko nodded, though Ty Lee hadn't read it and now wished to learn more about the situation.

As she tugged on her friend's long garnet sleeves, Ty Lee whispered, "What happened?" To her dismay, Mai only shrugged and resumed her focus back on the Fire Lord himself.

"In that case, I demand we speak to her in a different room. Anywhere but inside this cell."

The two staff exchanged glances. "But sir—" they said in unison.

"That’s an order from the Fire Lord." Flames danced mad in his eyes, and Ty Lee could see the influence Ozai and Azula had over him. The rage that burned within him was a commonality between royal firebenders, it seemed. With those who could tame it, like his uncle Iroh, it was smoothed. Others like Ozai could never control the flames, despite how much power he was believed to have.

"Zuko," Aang spoke from within the group, "you should really think about this."

"They said her treatment is going well," he retorted.

The women of the asylum responded favorably to having the Avatar on their side. "It may be going well," Jiao stated, "but something as simple as seeing a face of her past could make her snap. Without the cold, she could easily incite madness in the building. Are you sure you would like to do this?"

Guilt ate her up inside. Ty Lee bit the corner of his lip, her right foot twitching furiously on the ground. There were plenty of people Azula hated in the group, but Ty Lee felt her and Mai's betrayal was the loose screw that sent her spiraling down a path of insanity and paranoia that sent her here. Zuko and Aang could keep her at bay, but Ty Lee would never let herself live down that moment, despite how hard she tried to redeem herself by joining the Kyoshi Warriors. 

"If something happens, we have the Avatar here to stop her." Zuko's face was growing red with frustration, and he took a few steps closer to the doorway so the cold metal would help him cool down. 

Aang jumped. "Zuko, if something happens I won't let her hurt any of us, but I don't want to resort to that. I didn't come here to fight Azula."

"Neither did I." Zuko stood determined in his decision, and with only a curt nod to Daiyu and Jiao did they give in and blow a horn to call a group of guards. Men came rushing immediately down the hallway, armored suits making their bodies resistant to any sporadic firebending attacks by their most intimidating patient.

"Bring the fire princess to visitation. Make sure the other patients don't see her." They nodded at the command by Daiyu, and immediately entered the cold cell to grab the infamous Azula from her own nightmare. Ty Lee dragged herself with the rest of the group, clinging now to Suki and shutting her eyes so she wouldn't bear witness to the subdued woman she previously called her friend.

They arrived in an empty space filled with more tables and chairs. The group grabbed seats around a small wooden table, waiting for Azula to be dragged into the room and forced across from them. Under the seat, Ty Lee grabbed Zuko's hand and squeezed. She felt his pain, or at least she thought she did. 

Nobody had seen Azula in months since she got here. Before she was locked in a cell within the palace, a holding place before the asylum was built. Now that she was a registered patient, nobody came to check up on her or see what she looked like. There must have been a reason why. Her hair was greasy and long, and the bangs she'd cut before her coronation ceremony already grew back in. Her lips were thin and chapped, cracking from the cold within her cell. Her pale skin was coated in red blotches, bruises, and goosebumps, while her eyes were sunken and dark. She looked terrible, despite Jiao and Daiyu's assertions that she was perfectly well. As the guards chained her arms to the back of the chair, she continued to stare directly at the floor below her. She donned a red suit, unlike the patients from before who wore pink. It must have represented her extreme hostility, even among the most deranged in the nation.

Ty Lee saw how different she looked on the outside, but even her personality had changed. She always used to scan those around her, calculating for weakness or disloyalty. Now, she did nothing of the sort, and made a show of only looking at the ground. Zuko's hand tightened around Ty Lee's, and she noticed through glassy eyes the tear that ran down his cheek and landed on the ruby robes he wore as Fire Lord.

"Spirits above, Azula," he muttered in shock. His voice was nothing more than a whisper. "What happened to you?"

She said nothing. Her mouth even refused to move. The only trait that showed she was alive was how her body shook from the change in temperature. It didn't seem she was used to being outside the cold, which meant she rarely, if ever, left her cell.

"Azula?" Zuko repeated, letting go of Ty Lee and reaching his hands across the table to touch her. Aang and Katara both pulled him back, seeing the dismay growing worrisome upon his features. "Azula, speak to me, goddammit! Fucking say something!"

Slowly, her face lifted. She met only his eyes, as if everyone, including Ty Lee, didn't exist in her field of vision. "What am I supposed to say?" Azula rasped as she spoke, and Ty Lee grimaced at her words. She, too, felt warm tears running from her eyes and down her face, but refused to wipe them away. "I would be lying if I said everything was perfect. These conditions are not meant for any princess of the Fire Nation."

"You should be thankful Zuko had mercy," Katara spoke from her seat in a quick defense of the Fire Lord himself. "He could have put you in prison, just like your father."

"At least I would have dignity within those walls," Azula retorted. Her former venom was coming back, despite being locked away in the asylum for so long. "Our Agni Kai only ended with his cheats, with your help—" she flicked her gold gaze towards Katara, "he took my rightful title as Fire Lord, and locked me away with delusional grandmas and pathetic criminals who claim insanity. My own cell hinders my abilities to firebend. You say I should be thankful for this?"

Toph, who had stayed quiet for most of the trip, spoke up. "You’re a merciless psychopath who sees hallucinations of your own mother and would have taken over the world if given the slightest chance. You’re the real loony in here, and frankly we all can agree you deserve worse than what you're getting."

Ty Lee didn't agree. For all it was worth, Azula could have been an extremely vital asset to learning more about the Four Nations. She was well informed and a tactical genius, and her diplomacy was unmatched. She was the ideal princess, disregarding her delusions and paranoia. Sure, it was likely better than prison, but with the conditions Ty Lee saw just in the time they've roamed the halls, the Anquan Rehabilitation Center was less than ideal. 

Azula's gaze flitted over the group. She moved from right to left, following the expressions of Team Avatar and Mai before landing her golden eyes on Ty Lee. “I deserve to be Fire Lord." The princess's eyes never left Ty Lee, and an awful feeling sunk deep in her chest. "Fire Lord Azula. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" Her thin lips raised in what appeared to be a smile. As she moved her head slowly towards Zuko, that smile contorted into bared teeth and squinted eyes. "You will never be successful, Zuko. I would have commended you even if you remained with the Avatar from the start, granted your loyalties stayed tied to him, but even in that regard you failed to be decisive. Your honor will never be restored," she spat, "because your heart is weak."

Her body propelled forward, and the rest of the group got to their feet after seeing smoke rising from her hands within the chains. Ty Lee could see the flaming energy rising from the pit of her stomach as she aimed to send a fiery blast directly at Zuko's face. However, Toph's quick instincts led her to send a rock pillar from the floor to bring Azula's arms and legs closer to the ground, forcing her head to tilt up and the fire to be sent blasting into the ceiling. Though her fire was always blue, representative of her prodigal status, the cold from her cell drew her powers away and forced Azula to only create normal orange sparks.

Guards hurried in an instant with a cold muzzle that was quickly clasped around Azula's mouth. Her body rocked at the touch of freezing metal upon her skin, flailing to escape her earthy restraints and frozen mouthpiece that prevented her from firebending more than before. The guards followed procedure by clasping her arms and feet with shackles similar to what the other prisoners would wear, quickly leading her out of the visitation room after Toph moved the rock off from Azula's body. Ty Lee and the others watched her be dragged away, chained and immobile while only muffled cries could be heard from under the mask. Her own hands flew to cover her mouth, unable to stand the site of her former friend being dragged away in such harsh conditions.

"Well," Sokka commented once she was out of the room, "it looks like Azula is still Azula." In response to his comment, Suki shot him a glaring look that seemed to address his ignorance. "What? Was I the only one that saw what just happened?"

Jiao and Daiyu ushered everyone to their feet, profusely apologizing for Azula's lash-out. "She was doing so well prior to this meeting. We were even thinking of allowing her time to interact outside with the other patients. We will have to arrange more visits to Doctor Sheng in Medical for stronger medication." Zuko quickly moved towards the two women and began talking in hushed whispers, presumably about Azula. The rest of the group divulged into conversations with one another, leaving Mai and Ty Lee to stand awkwardly to the side.

Azula had never looked as terrible as today in her life. She was always poised and proper, with long hair even and straight wrapped in a sharp bun, a Fire Nation nobility robe, and makeup to fit the toned edges of her face. Now, her lips seemed naked without the usual lipstick that covered them, and her eyes were dull despite their golden glow. Ty Lee read chi energy as it flowed through a person's body— like molten lava, particularly among those with firebending abilities. Such icy temperatures and treatments made Azula's chi wade through her like a marsh. Her chi was blocked in some places, flowed like murky water in others, but where her energy was built up it didn't bring her power, it just made her feel heavy and sad all the time.

Aang cleared his throat, causing everyone in the room to focus their attention on him. He was the Avatar after all. "Zuko, I think it's time we go now. I don't think we're going to get more out of Azula any time soon." The Fire Lord nodded, beckoning for the two women to lead them out of the building.

They walked down the same hallways they came in from, with the exception of the cells where Azula was locked away. Ty Lee worried about the punishments they were likely putting her through, tempted to break away from the group and find out herself. Jiao and Daiyu mentioned a doctor who would issue new medication for her, but it was evident she wasn't getting adequate social interactions with normal people. Maybe she could stand some visits.

But no. She would never want to see Ty Lee's face after her betrayal at the Boiling Rock. Maybe this place reminded her of that memory all too well— the former volcano, the isolated asylum filled with psychopaths and criminals, and the inescapable cold cell she was forced to sleep in at night. Maybe Azula was so terribly scarred from the incident and that's what made being here worse than a prison. She yearned for interactions with others, as her charming nature would only solidify her place as a conniving commander, but having the staff keep her locked away without human contact was breaking her. 

"Mai," Ty Lee quickly mumbled as she took a few quick steps to catch up with her friend. "What they're doing to Azula... is it right?"

The taller girl glared down at her, eyebrows arched skeptically. "Do you not remember when she locked us up in prison? How we were fed slop, and treated like animals? You saw the recreation rooms here, it's bliss. Azula is probably making a show out of it to play on our sympathy cards— and it seems to be working on you."

"She looks so thin, and so cold, and the ladies said she isn't allowed to interact with people."

"That’s because she's insane and paranoid. Look, it's been five years since we last saw her and frankly she lost her mind well before being put in here, probably when Zuko had her in that holding cell under the Palace. I only had the chance to see her once between then and now, and at that point she was starting to succumb to her hallucinations. This place holds some of the most insane, unstable people in the Fire Nation, but on top of that the majority are also criminals. Don’t think that this place is just for rehabilitation. It’s a prison in disguise, and I for one think it's right she's in here."

Ty Lee swallowed thickly and navigated behind Mai, waiting to finally enter the outside world before stating, "Well, we were her allies for most of the war. Shouldn’t we be locked up somewhere too?"

"We already were, dipshit." Ty Lee recoiled at the profanity. "If you want your guilty ass back in prison, be my guest, but don't make me feel the need to go wandering back where we once were. I did my time as a traitor to Azula, but I'm not going back for the crimes she committed after."

As Mai kept walking with the group towards the ship that would take them back to the mainland, Ty Lee tugged at her friend's long dress sleeves. "But Mai, she's our friend."

"She’s your friend, not mine. I’m still not sure why you let her get into your head anymore." The girl ripped her arm away from Ty Lee's grasp, her eyes pointed and sharp. "You can't do anything for her now, so why should you care? You’re a Kyoshi Warrior, so instead of sucking up to Azula's cruel manipulation, act like one."

Mai, without another look back, boarded the ship with the rest of the group. Ty Lee stood flat on the ashy ground, staring up at where her friend had vanished off to. Zuko and Suki both stood waiting for her at the side. "Come on, Ty Lee!" Suki shouted and waved, gesturing for her to hurry up onto the ship. She turned her head around to catch a glimpse of the asylum and rehabilitation center one more time.  _ Azula _ . No matter how hard she tried, that name would never slip her mind. 

_ You won't die in there.  _

She knew this wouldn't be her last time on the island. Ty Lee placed a false, innocent smile on her face to please Suki as she skipped aboard the ship and gave her friend a hug. If there was one thing Azula had buried into her mind, it was that making people think you were happy was just as good as actually being it. Nobody needed to know how she really felt — towards Azula, towards the asylum, towards anything — and a façade was the only thing that mattered.

The ship began moving, Zuko and Suki taking off into an indoor space where the others were chatting. Ty Lee was offered to join them, but she felt it necessary to watch as the asylum vanished from her sight. She hated these feelings, and she especially hated how Azula still managed to control her emotions from a cold cell and an isolated island.

_ Azula. Azula. Azula. _

Her patchy energy, the face of a broken dragon, her dull eyes made Ty Lee crumble to the floorboards. Tears she’d previously withheld now fell freely down her face. Azula’s torture was her torture, despite her shifted loyalties. How true was she this whole time? Was joining the Kyoshi Warriors another ploy masterminded by Azula from her own imprisonment? Was everything she did just a way to help her escape? How real is anything?

_ No _ . It couldn’t have been. That was what she wanted, Ty Lee’s own guilt to manifest itself and make her paranoid. Azula wanted her and Mai to suffer for their betrayal. Well, that wasn’t going to happen, but Azula also wasn’t going to die inside a cold cell and Ty Lee knew damn well that she’d do anything to prove her loyalties. They were childhood friends, after all. Her betrayal was nothing more than a mistake.

Right. 

_ I'm coming back for you. _


	2. ii.

Cold had crawled it's way through her skin, wading within her mouth and causing her throat to burn in ways never felt before. Azula writhed against the metallic muzzle upon her features, the sharp and icy sensations making her body feel dull and pained. The muzzle wasn't a common occurrence, and she was lucky to have managed creating some fire when meeting Zuko and his friends, but this time it seemed extra precautions were taken to make it as cold as can be.

Though it wasn't just her mouth that was shackled in ice, it was the area that hurt the most. With the amount of times she'd been dragged out of cells, recreation rooms, and medical centers, her hands and feet were accustomed to the use of shackles. Donning a muzzle wasn't something Azula did often, only once before with the incident that ultimately bought her a private cell, but such memories were not fond to recollect and the frozen prison upon her face only did such that.

If she were anyone else, weak or docile, then she’d may have passed out from the pain. However, her own mental fortitude and internal willpower kept Azula alive despite the torture occurring within the asylum’s walls. Nothing she did was ever a mistake, and even if the worst came from her actions (such as the muzzle she now wore) it wasn’t a fault of her own, and instead malpractice by the supposed “doctors” that ran the building.

Gloved hands tightened around her arms and Azula bit back a hiss of pain. “What are we doing with her?” the man asked, his armored helmet making his voice echo in the hall. 

She refused to lift her head, but saw black boots taking a few wary steps closer to her. “Put her in her cell, idiot. I’ll tell Sheng of her little... outburst today.”

_ Fuckers _ . Did they know who she was? When she got out — and she knew it would be soon — all the guards and nurses and doctors who tortured her would face the wrath of an angered fire princess.  _ They will rue the day of my escape. _

“You heard the man,” her other guard started with a rough shove to her back, “get a move on.” With both men shoving at her back the duration of the trip, nearly knocking her to the floor, Azula was tossed harsh onto the frozen ground of her cell. The red jumpsuit she wore as a patient tore at her side, allowing the frost from her freezing cell to touch her skin and send a searing pain up her body. Azula heard the boots of one guard click away, while another came closer to press her muzzled face into the floor.

Her hands were unbound, then her feet. There was always a chance for escape when they removed her from the cuffs, and the raw energy fueled from her hate of this place would channel the most powerful of fire if she left the freezing cell. However, she didn’t move until after the guard locked the door and left her shivering inside. There was a time and place for everything, and Azula still needed more time to plan her actions. Only one part of the plan was the escape, the other was what she would do afterwards. 

Inside her frozen prison was a metal toilet, a broken sink that dripped water at random intervals, a mirror, and a cold bed frame with a ripped mattress she was forced to call a bed. Azula got to her feet, flexing and unflexing her fingers to try and warm them. She closed her eyes and envisioned blue fire engulfing her body, the heat causing the hair on her skin to stand in excitement. Yearning for the days when she could firebend freely, her power rich and unmatched in the Four Nations, Azula imagined her days in the Hundred Year War. 

All she could think about within her cell in the asylum, within her holding place for years under the Palace, was the war. It seemed all she was taught, even before venturing under her father’s command, was a lust for violence and destruction. She was, and still is, a firebending prodigy and such powers were put to use when serving the Fire Nation. She remembered her battles, the thrill of adrenaline when flames would surge through her; she remembered the pride when commanding a drill to Ba Sing Se; she even remembered the love she held for her best friends.

_ Held.  _ Azula’s eyes opened, slitting towards the mirror above her maimed sink. Her own reflection, narrowed eyes, muzzled and beaten. She stalked over and pressed her hands to the glass, recoiling at the biting touch on her fingers. What heat she had gained before had dissipated at the mirror. 

The muzzle held her mouth closed behind a locked cage, an animal behind bars. Azula saw what they did to her, such a horror placed over what once were delicate and charming features, and attempted to pull it off. At first she was tempted to take her hands off, the cold raw and bitter against her weakened skin, but she let her indecisiveness aside and succumbed to the pain. She wished she could yell, scream for a servant or a guard or…

A friend.

Somehow she managed to push it down her nose, but it only made matters worse as the mask slid down her face and trapped her mouth in a frigid mound. The cage that had covered her mouth, at least allowing for some air to enter and ease the unwelcoming chill, was now over her pointed chin, causing her teeth to sting and her lips to quiver. 

Her eyes closed, a wishful way of numbing the pain, and once more she tried to claw the muzzle off her features. It slid more easily now it was off her nose, and ultimately ended up hanging loosely from her neck. The restraints were simple clasps that, without being bound, she could clip off and remove the object of torture from her face. Azula threw it against the cell wall, far from her so that she wouldn’t have to touch or feel the cold radiating from its presence.

In the mirror, her features were red. Blistered and frozen from the muzzle placed upon her, she raised her fingers to touch what once used to be beautiful skin. Now it held blemishes and bruises, a contorted image of what she was before. 

“ _ You’re still so beautiful _ ,” Ursa chided. Her image manifested in the mirror behind Azula, Fire Nation garb long and beautiful which contrasted with her own ripped jumpsuit. “ _ Why do you torture yourself? _ ”

“You think  _ I  _ did this?” Azula retorted, hands pressed hard against the sides of the sink until her knuckles were paling.

Ursa, who didn’t step any closer, frowned. “ _ I think you lash out because you want the attention. Or you want the pain to make you feel something. _ ”

Her hands wandered along her features, touching the bags under her eyes, the slowly-dissipating redness that lined her mouth, her long and split hair that once was well groomed. “You know nothing about me.”

“ _ I’m your mother. _ ”

“You never acted like one!”

Azula’s fist clenched and in an instant she slammed it into the glass. Her mother vanished and her knuckle bled, shards of mirror landing amongst the sink and around her feet.

She stepped back, not to look at the mess she made, but to face an incoming group of guards and nurses that rushed into her room.

“Oh fuck me,” one cursed, “not this again.”

Azula said nothing, and she made no effort to move when the armored men grabbed her arms and shackled them in restraints.

Another had begun searching her room. “Sir,” he called to one of the men restraining her, “I found the mouth restraint.” 

“Bring it to Sheng. It obviously didn’t work.” Her legs were kept unbound, either a mistake by one of the guards or something new was happening. “And would someone clean up that fucking mirror?”

They dragged her past occupied cells where women banged on bars, whistled, screamed, and all else. Azula kept her head down, allowing the newfound heat she felt outside her cell to engulf her, fueling her with strength she needed to plan her freedom at last. 

The group turned a corner, now inside a medical wing where she was thrown into a room with a doctor. Sheng was not an unattractive man, but an accident in the past gave one leg a limp. The guards pushed her on a thin mattress where she was then restrained. Azula’s body was beginning to warm up, the heat bringing her back just five years ago to when she was at her peak power.

“It seems your treatments weren’t working well,” Sheng mused, “and I was told you lashed out today. That’s unlike you, Azula.” His calming voice in no way hid his fear. All the doctors and guards were scared of the patients, but Azula was one that terrified them most of all. “I’m thinking of a new treatment for you.”

Azula kept quiet. Her own interest in the topic and pride kept her from spitting a sharp remark at the man. He turned to the guards. “Prepare her a regular cell, one with a roommate. And get her a new jumpsuit. She’s going outside.”

“With people?” one guard questioned. “Not to question your authority, but wouldn’t her outburst today show she isn’t fit to mingle?”

Sheng grinned, bending down to her level and matched her gaze whilst simultaneously ignoring the guard. “Don’t mess up like you did last time.”

A new suit, identical to which she wore currently with the exception of tears, was thrown haphazardly into her lap. With an order to change, Azula was unbound from the bed and was directed to the cell wing bathrooms to be left with guards loitering outside.

It was quiet in the stalls, and Azula would have thought she was the only one in there if it weren’t for the woman standing at the mirror. She had a striking pale complexion, hair a light brown and eyes to match the volcanic earth that surrounded the complex. Too ingrained in her own thoughts to notice Azula, the dark haired princess entered a stall and disrobed to change into her new jumpsuit.

Azula didn’t want to leave, for she enjoyed the silence that engulfed her. It wasn’t cold in the stall, but damp and humid presumably because it was close to where the patients engaged outside. She sat and waited until a guard called out for her to hurry up. Slowly she rose and opened the door, passing by the same brown-haired woman from before as she exited. Her face and body reminded her of Ty Lee.

She threw the clothes to the guard and was led towards a new area of the asylum. On the opposite side she knew male patients were being held, and here would be the first time in months she would see the supposed “deranged criminals” that were housed among her.

The sun burned her eyes as she stepped outside and, squinting to adjust to the light, she noticed some of the other patients turn to face her. Azula wasn’t a familiar face, particularly because of her time in an isolated cell, but now it seemed Sheng wanted her to interact more with others. Azula saw this as a win, a leg up in planning her escape. She had the opportunity to recruit others, the most loyal in the asylum, to be her distraction.

Azula needed allies.

***

Forever her face was perceived as a threat. Azula would witness it with her mother, her brother, and later at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls. On her first day, she stayed diligent and focused on her studies while keeping her guard up. To rise in the ranks of a school, one needed to have charisma which would attract friends. That charm created favor, and school favor created power.

Mai was a year older than Azula. She was a second-year student, silent and mysterious which attracted the princess’s attention. She wasn’t someone with much prestige, but her enigmatic nature was quite a topic of discussion amongst others. She was sitting under a tree when Azula came to her, stance wide and confident as she introduced herself as the granddaughter of Fire Lord Azulon.

Ty Lee had a different sort of appeal to her. She was charming in a way that drew people in, unlike Mai whose personality isolated herself from others. Her desire to be different from her sisters made the young girl a perfect addition to her inner circle. However, it took a while for their relationship to blossom in ways it never did with Mai, and in ways it could be attributed to their own experiences in the past.

When the three girls grew closer, Azula invited them to the Palace for sleepovers. The bedrooms in the Royal Palace were large, and although there was enough space on her floor for sleeping bags it became custom for Mai to sleep on the cushioned couch across the bed, and for Azula and Ty Lee to share the mattress together. Because Mai was a year older, and she enjoyed the space on the couch to herself, she allowed Ty Lee to cling on Azula at night and assumed the older sister role within the group.

Besides, she sometimes liked to take walks with Zuko when her friends were sleeping.

Their first night together was filled with games, snacks, and less-than-adequate amounts of sleep. “Can we go outside and feed the turtle ducks?” Ty Lee asked that night, sitting eagerly on her knees as she looked out Azula’s bedroom window. “One of my sisters told me they love to be fed.”

“They don’t like me very much,” Azula admitted. “You’d get better luck going out there with my brother.” Mai perked her head up from the couch, looking over. “Besides, it’s late. I don’t want guards to catch us outside now. You might never be able to come over again.”

“Can’t you just tell them? It’s not like we’re sneaking out, and I didn’t think you were scared of your guards,” Mai remarked, kicking her feet off the cushions and onto the floor.

Azula rolled her eyes. “It’s not the guards I’m afraid of.” She didn’t finish her thoughts, instead turning her head slightly to see Ty Lee engrossed in the turtle ducks outside. “But fine,” she caved, “just be quiet.”

Her acrobatic friend jumped to her feet, bounding over and leaping into Azula and clasping her arms around her back. The hug was unexpected, and yet welcomed as she slowly returned it. When they separated, Azula felt oddly cold and yearned for the heat they shared once more. However, seeing Mai waiting impatiently at her doorway with an armful of snacks, she grabbed Ty Lee’s wrist and dragged her along. Mai fell in line behind them as Azula navigated through the halls.

“This is so exciting!” her friend exclaimed in a whisper. “It feels like we’re criminals, like we’re escaping.”

Azula shushed her by placing a finger to her lips. “That  _ is  _ what we’re trying to do. Now shush, we’re almost outside.”

Mai and Ty Lee were giggling behind her, making Azula even more on edge as the group neared the door leading them outside. Guards would likely be surrounding it and, if caught, all three would be sent back to the bedroom without any hesitation.

An idea came to mind.

“Mai,” Azula whispered, “how would you say about paying my big brother a visit?”

Her friend raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“We need a distraction.” She let go of Ty Lee’s wrist, now moving back down the hall and towards her brother’s bedroom. “Throw one of those bags at his bed.”

Mai grimaced. “ _ What _ ? I’m not doing that.”

“Fine, then give the bag to me.” Azula reached over, but Mai stepped away. “Do you want to go outside or not?”

“Just give her the bag, Mai,” Ty Lee muttered.

“What are you doing to him?” she asked.

Azula reached forward again, but Mai shuffled back and Ty Lee was growing impatient behind her. “I’m just throwing the bag on his bed so he wakes up and calls the guards.” She shrugged, nonchalant. “It’s either this or firebending.”

“It’s neither!” Mai hissed at her. They all kept their voices low, hoping Zuko didn’t wake up and the guards didn’t hear them. “I am not throwing a bag of fire gummies at your brother just so Ty Lee can pet some turtle ducks.”

The smaller girl frowned and lowered her head, which honestly made Azula feel some sympathy for her. “Then fine, don’t do it, but give them to me.”

“No!”

“Azula?” A voice from down the hallway made all three girls look up and turn. Ursa, in her crimson nightgown and her hair flowing free, sauntered towards them and raised an eyebrow in confusion. “What are you doing up, and what are you doing in front of Zuko’s room?”

She had already planned for this to happen, and so an excuse came off her tongue without hesitation. “We were playing a game, but we needed an extra person so we thought Zuko might want to join us.”

Ursa didn’t seem convinced, and yet she didn’t push on. “Well, your brother is sleeping and I suggest you all do the same. It’s late, why don’t I get you all into bed.” Her mother smiled and Azula’s blood boiled. She felt her fingers clench at her side as Ursa led them down the hallway, back to her bedroom, while Ty Lee and Mai happily obliged.

There was something vaguely delighting about being apprehended by her mother. The attention she never seemed to give Azula only came about when she did something reckless. If it were her father she’d likely be dismissed, so long as she wasn’t mastering firebending at that very moment, but Ursa’s attention only focused on her when she did something troubling. Or when it concerned her beloved Zuko.

Her mother yawned as she pushed open Azula’s bedroom door. She didn’t seem to care for the mess on her floor, nor did she stay to tuck them in as she said she would. Once Azula had sauntered inside, she slowly shut the door and left the three girls in. Footsteps and voices outside made her realize that Ursa had assigned guards to make sure they stayed locked inside, which made the young princess furious.

“Looks like all the turtle ducks are gone,” Ty Lee muttered. Her perky, innocent voice made Azula pry her eyes away from the closed door to see her back at the window. “Guess they knew we weren’t coming.”

Mai was already on the couch and turned with her back facing Azula. She wasn’t sure if the older girl was asleep or just refusing to speak to her after the incident outside Zuko’s room.

The sky was illuminated by the moon that night, though it was only a quarter full. A slight breeze brushed the curtains as Ty Lee stood, gazing solemnly at the ground below. It was far too high for them to jump, which was why Azula never even proposed it as an option. Besides, they’d have no way back in.

Azula’s night robes dragged on the floor as she got into the bed, leaving enough space on one side for Ty Lee when, or if, she decided to succumb to sleep. Almost as soon as she rolled the blankets over her body did she feel the mattress sink next to her. She knew who it was, and there was no reason to roll over. Yet she did it anyway.

They stared at one another for a few moments, Azula’s golden eyes reading carefully into Ty Lee’s expression. Solemn, it seemed, still disappointed they all couldn’t feed the turtle ducks. There was something so raw about her emotions, or whatever Azula was reading in her face, that the Fire Nation princess would never be able to comprehend. She always saw emotions as a sign of weakness, but Ty Lee seemed to believe otherwise.

With a sharp exhale, and still facing Ty Lee on the bed, Azula closed her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, and perhaps it was for more than just the turtle duck incident. “I know you really wanted to feed them.” Sleep must have been making her this way, for never would the sun see such an open and fragile version of her.

When she opened her eyes, Ty Lee was almost half smiling. She didn’t speak, and Azula was quite thankful for the moment between them. It felt so intimate, almost dangerously close to what she’d imagined love would feel like, but just fell short of the physicality she yearned for.

Under the mattress Azula felt a foreign hand meet her own. Her body was warm, more so than normal with it radiating heat as a firebender. Ty Lee didn’t speak, though it seemed obvious she forgave Azula as she closed her own eyes with a satisfied smile on her face. The fire princess swallowed thickly, shifting as she closed her eyes and felt Ty Lee’s hand still on her own.

That night never ended for her. Azula’s eyes were open despite her overwhelming desire to sleep, and with every passing hour her own thoughts continued to run rampant. Her friends. Ty Lee. Zuko.

_ Ursa. _

The hand in her own grounded her. Azula was thankful for Ty Lee’s presence by her side, for what would have happened without the small girl next to her may have changed the course of events in the Fire Nation for years.

***

A buzzer sounded. What felt like little time was actually a while, as the sky was darkening and stars other than the sun were presenting themselves up above. The dark haired girl pressed two fingers to her wrist, the warm touch aiming to ease the red marks that had burned into her skin from the cuffs. She all too clearly remembered her encounter with the Avatar, her brother, and their friends. The memory made her touch grow hotter, enough to accidentally burn too hard into her skin and leave a welt in place of a cold bruise.

“Don’t let them see you burning yourself,” a woman’s voice murmured from behind her head. Azula spun with quick reflexes, reliving her days chasing the Avatar, but was instantly caught by the sturdy arms of the person behind her. “If the guards see the marks, they’ll send you inside with the old folk.” 

She was taller than Azula, broad shouldered and muscular that made her appearance rival that of an earthbender. For a moment the princess hesitated to speak, opening her mouth but unable to produce words. The other girl let go of her arms after realizing, allowing Azula to rub the spots by which she was grabbed.

“Sorry,” the woman apologized with a quick smile. Her teeth, or lack thereof, made Azula realize that this was a patient that likely engaged in plenty of fights. “I recognize you. You’re that daughter of Ozai, sister of the Fire Lord.” With a pause, she looked Azula over. “I heard what you did to your roommate. That was pretty twisted.”

Azula rolled her eyes. Her sardonic behavior was coming back to her. “She deserved far worse.”

“Are the rumors true?” she asked, leaning on the nearest object — a pole that held up the chain ceiling above them — and raising an eyebrow. “I’ve heard plenty about what you did. I didn’t think such a prim and proper princess would even be in here, let alone do something that vile.”

_ Perfect.  _ This woman, whoever she was, matched every criteria on Azula’s list for allies in the asylum. “Why should it matter to you? I don’t even know who you are.”

“Call me Genki,” the woman stated firmly. Another buzzer went off, and now a guard came towards them with a scowl on his face to hurry them inside. “You don’t have to tell me anything,” she stated, “but if you do, we can discuss more during dinner.”

Genki hurried off, just in time for the guard to reach Azula and press a tight hand to her arm. “Let’s go, princess,” he muttered, pushing her towards the door as hordes of women flocked inside. 

And yet Azula smiled.  _ Everything falls into place for those who wait.  _ Her reward for the torture she faced daily had finally arrived.


	3. iii.

Dinner at the Royal Palace was always an eventful occasion. When she was younger, Ty Lee ate with Mai and Azula at the long and eloquent tables, their voices echoing off the walls in the massive room. Servant shoes clicked on the red tiles while pots and pans clamored in the kitchen off ascant. She enjoyed the three of them together, Ursa and Ozai eating later with the other Fire Nation nobility and generals, while Zuko tried his best to avoid his sister whenever her friends were around.

Oh how the tables had turned now. After arriving back at the Palace from Anquan, Zuko suggested they all spent the night after sharing dinner together. “It’s much better than an inn,” he claimed, “and we could all talk. Play games. For old times sake.” Mai and Ty Lee exchanged a look.  _ We wouldn’t know _ , they both seemed to think.  _ We were always with your sister. _

They arrived at the familiar building in two carriages. Aang and his friends had taken their own cart, with the exception of Katara joining Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee in the other. It was awkward, especially noting Mai and Zuko’s distance next to each other. Conversation didn’t spark, as Ty Lee didn’t know how to address the ongoing situation. Silence seemed the only route.

Everyone exited the carriages at the same time, allowing both groups to rejoin and enter the Palace together. They were escorted by a group of servants and bowed at by guards all around. It must have been hard for Zuko, Ty Lee thought when they arrived in the dining hall.  _ Azula would have loved this. _

All throughout the ride back to the Palace — on boat, on land — Ty Lee couldn’t get Azula’s horrific picture out of her mind. The way she saw her energy rise through her chest, how her skin paled and her hair split, the malicious glare of gold that pierced her skin like a fiery blast aimed right at her heart. She remembered the old Azula, young and brilliant, and couldn’t comprehend how she changed after such time. 

A hand fell to her shoulder. “Stop.” Mai’s long fingernails dug into her, causing Ty Lee to meet her gaze. “We’re done with her,” she whispered, slowly pushing her forward with the rest of the group.

_ I’m not.  _ She took her seat across from Katara, next to Mai and Suki. Zuko sat at the head of the table, his chair decorated as a throne, and waited as servants brought forth steaming food from the kitchen. The group collectively relaxed as they saw such delicacies brought forth, nearly forgetting about what they had all bared witness to that morning.

Smoked sea slug and komodo sausage were placed on the table, followed by a strange looking dish that Ty Lee couldn’t recognize. “Arctic hen?” Katara asked quickly upon realizing such a dish was placed in front of her. She looked at Zuko, eyes wide in something close to childish excitement. “Zuko…”

He raised a hand up to stop her, smiling a little behind his fingers. “I didn’t want you and Sokka to feel left out, so I had it brought straight from the Southern Water Tribe to make it for you. Both of you.” Katara’s aura was radiating pink, feelings of appreciation and gratitude brought to light as she ate her homeland’s meal.

“I don’t smell any roast duck for me,” Toph muttered. “Nice to see the Fire Lord has his favorites.” She feigned disappointment, until Sokka cracked and the rest of the table burst into laughter. Although Zuko chimed in with them, Ty Lee could see a light flush dusting his cheeks.

Side chatter soon filled the room as old friends discussed travels, adventures, and all that happened since the last time they spoke. Ty Lee sat quietly in her seat, eating the komodo sausage presented to her. Mai was quiet as well —refusing to even enter conversation with Zuko — and instead focused entirely on her meal.

“-and then Toph arrived after  _ hours  _ and finally got us out with her earthbending.” Sokka had finished telling an extensive story that Ty Lee was only half paying attention to. “It was amazing! She was just like:  _ Wapow!  _ And then the rebels went flying!” His elaborate hand gestures accidentally knocked a glass at the table, spilling it onto his blind friend.

Toph jumped in surprise at the cold liquid on her clothes, letting loose a string of profanity that made Ty Lee nearly choke on the food in her mouth. Zuko got out of his chair and called over some of his staff, who instantaneously ushered the young blind girl into a different room to clean her off.

Suki smacked Sokka’s arm. “That was smooth.” He grimaced, now looking guilty, and pushed out his chair to quickly follow behind the women leading Toph away to change. Suki stayed put, quietly eating the smoked sea slug on her plate, while Mai and Ty Lee exchanged secret looks to one another.

As the silence ate everyone up from the inside, Aang cleared his throat to speak. “I know we’re all thinking about her,” he said, “Azula. That was the reason why we came here today. Are we not going to talk about it?” He had grown to be more mature, Ty Lee realized, and well-spoken. Only now could she see how he was the same kid who took away Ozai’s bending.

“I can start,” Zuko stated. It seemed nobody else was willing to speak. “I had Anquan constructed so that even the worst criminals could be given the chance to improve. My father…” he faltered, putting down his cutlery and looking down at his plate. “My father wouldn’t have improved. He wasn’t insane, just downright evil, but Azula…”

Ty Lee spared a glance in his direction. He seemed entranced, focused not on any of them but on the ground. “My sister is broken, and she needs help. Anquan was going to be that place for her, and for others like her that just needed rehabilitation after the war, but it’s not.”

Mai dropped a fork on her plate, loud with extra force. “It’s not? Do you not remember what she did to me and Ty Lee at the Boiling Rock?” Zuko opened his mouth to speak, but Mai continued. “You still love her Zuko, and I get it she’s your sister, but you have to look and see who she really is. Azula isn’t that same little girl who used to act out  _ Love Amongst the Dragons  _ with us.”

“You’re still scared of her,” the Fire Lord murmured.

“Yes, Zuko, I’m still scared of her!” Mai threw her hand up and stood, long sleeves dragging through the air. “I’m fucking  _ terrified _ ! For so many years I refused to see her in that cell you kept her in below the Palace, and seeing her that one time only solidified it. Going with you today… was one of the hardest things I have done since the Boiling Rock.” She inhaled, her legs buckling under her as she sat again. 

Ty Lee reached her hand over, grabbing her friend’s hand and squeezing it. They met eyes, sharing wide yet sympathetic gazes that conveyed both their collective fears of Azula. And yet, Ty Lee couldn’t agree with Mai that Anquan was the best place for her. 

The group ate in silence once more. Sokka led Toph back into the room, seeing her dressed in a long-sleeved, crimson shirt and a skirt. With a pang of sadness, Ty Lee recognized it as one of Azula’s old outfits from when she was a teenager. She looked down at her plate, unable to keep looking at the younger girl and the clothes she wore.

Dinner finished soon after. Zuko had invited them all to the library for some tea (which Iroh had finally taught him how to make well) and dessert, but Ty Lee was too tired and awkwardly declined. She was led by a group of servant girls to a guest room at the far end of the Palace. Azula never gave Mai and Ty Lee a full tour when they were kids, instead using their lack of knowledge to her own advantage in hide-and-seek games, but she felt it understandable she’d never been down this wing. What donned the walls were pictures of Ursa and Ozai, two faces that Azula did not want to see on her own will. One was a threat, the other was a manipulator. Ty Lee wasn’t sure Azula knew who was which.

Her bed was small, but she was used to small sleeping spaces considering her many travels. Where she lived on Kyoshi was only big enough for one person, and on her various trips across the Four Nations with the circus, Azula, and the Kyoshi Warriors she’d had to sleep in various types of tents and bedspreads. On her bed was a set of red Fire Nation garb: a scarlet nightgown with amber embroidery along the hems. She presumed it was because the group wasn’t expecting to stay the night at the Palace, and although she would have slept in her Kyoshi Warrior uniform, she was thankful Zuko thought to give her garments to wear at night. 

Ty Lee slipped on the nightgown after taking off her uniform, sitting by the vanity placed in the room and taking off the white and red makeup that slathered her face. For all the positives that came with being a Kyoshi Warrior, Ty Lee found the traditional makeup to be extensive and difficult to wear all the time. 

As she fell back on her bed, she stared up at the wooden ceiling. The blank brown canvas above her painted memories of the asylum, what she saw in Azula as she was strapped to her chair in visitation, and what likely was the place she would live for the rest of her life. For someone who praised rehabilitation, Zuko’s design for a medical facility on Anquan was not being used for its true purpose. As he said at dinner, the conditions he saw within the asylum were cruel, and it seemed he was on the same page as Ty Lee regarding Azula.

A knock rapped at her door. “Can I come in?” Suki took her silence as an affirmative and pushed open the doorway, leaning against the frame. “That nightgown looks pretty on you. I always forget you’re from the Fire Nation.”

Ty Lee smiled, rolling onto her stomach and propping her head up on her hands. “I rock Earth Kingdom fashion better than you.” And the two laughed. It was always nice to hear Suki laugh, especially because she could always be so stoic and serious during training. Their voices echoed throughout the room until they died down after a few moments. 

When it became quiet, Suki cleared her throat. “I just wanted to check on you, make sure you’re okay.” She stepped inside the room and shut the door softly, leaning against it. “I know you and Azula were close before she…” Ty Lee didn’t need her to finish.

“I’m fine.” She wasn’t. “Thanks for checking up on me, though.” Ty Lee flashed her a smile. Over the past five years as a Kyoshi Warrior, she matured. However, her bubbly personality still manifested itself on occasion. “Is everyone else in the library?”

“Aang and Mai went to their rooms like you. Neither of them seemed particularly interested in playing games.”

“And Sokka?”

Suki pursed her lips. The question was loaded with subtle implications, but the girl could read between the lines. “We’re fine. I think being with everyone again reminds him too much about the past.” Suki didn’t push on, and Ty Lee didn’t press. She sat up, crossing her legs, and patted the spot on the cushions next to her. It was small, but Suki squeezed in.

“I’m thinking of cutting things off with him.” Ty Lee felt Suki’s head fall to her shoulder, and she ran a soothing hand up and down her back. “He’s not a bad guy, and I still love him, but with all that’s happening-“

“You’re scared for him.” Suki nodded. “Yeah, I get that.”

Ty Lee admired Suki for her confidence. Sure, Ty Lee was an adept chi blocker and could rival most benders in a fight, but Suki’s sheer charisma in battle loaned herself to be a powerful weapon. As Azula always told her, emotions made one weak. What Ty Lee had in skill, she lacked in self-confidence, making her power dwindle under the shadows of those like Suki.

They sat on her bed in silence, comforting one another in foreign walls. Suki relaxed onto Ty Lee’s shoulder as she let out a sigh. “We’re leaving tomorrow for Kyoshi. It will have to be pretty early because of how far it is. The girls can’t miss more training.”

“I know.”

But she wasn’t going on that boat with Suki. As her friend’s eyes closed in content, Ty Lee spared a glance towards the vanity where she saw her own reflection. The Fire Nation nightgown, her messy-yet-braided hair, and a face tanner than normal without makeup.

She was going to see Azula again, and this time without her friends to get in the way.

***

When it was still dark out, Ty Lee awoke. At the vanity she stripped off her nightgown and placed back on her Kyoshi Warrior uniform, but forewent the makeup as it would take too long. She wasn’t anticipating going back to Kyoshi with Suki, and so the makeup wouldn’t have mattered much anyway. Quietly she made the bed, folded the nightgown back onto the cushions, and opened the door to sneak out of the room.

Despite not knowing the hallway from her childhood experiences at the Palace, Ty Lee had a good memory and retraced the steps from when the servants brought her along. She found only a few guards that were in her way, but with simple persuasion she managed to escape through the front door and headed down the path that led her out of the Palace grounds. Outside were multiple carriage carts of people who brought tourists along to view the lovely decor around the vicinity, and Ty Lee was fortunate enough that one of the drivers would bring her to the docks. 

When Zuko and the others came to Anquan, it was on a private visit. Visitation days were only held once a week for a few hours, and that day was not today. However, claiming she was sent by the Fire Lord himself and naming her status as nobility opened many doors— including the captain of one of the ships offering to take her to the island. In return, she had promised him a new ship courtesy of the Fire Lord. He took quite positively to that.

And so Ty Lee and the captain sailed towards Anquan. It didn’t take all day, just over an hour by boat, and as the building grew bolder along the horizon Ty Lee swallowed her saliva and fear. The sun was just breaking through the sky, but early morning stars could still be seen dotting up above. Azula would be weaker without the sun at full strength, if it even mattered considering the shackles and restraints applied to her body. The two made it to Anquan without much of a conversation, and quickly Ty Lee dismounted and stepped under the rocky arch in front of the door.

Instead of being greeted by two friendly nurses like before, two guards stood out front. Their chests were covered in thick-plated grey armor, while helmets masked their faces and subsequent expressions. As they noticed Ty Lee approaching, they stepped closer to each other in order to prevent her from entering. 

“It’s not visitation day,” one said, “so go home.”

“I’m here under the orders of the Fire Lord. I was here with him and his friends yesterday?” Ty Lee smiled politely at the two, hoping if they saw her they would recognize the face. “I’m also one of the Kyoshi Warriors.”

The two exchanged glances. “I don’t care if you’re a dragon. I can’t let you inside.”

“Please?” she begged. Ty Lee wasn’t going to let the men stop her from getting in, but chi blocking was a last resort. “It’s an urgent matter about one of your patients. Azula, the Fire Lord’s sister.”

They stiffened. “If it’s so important,” the other queried, “then why isn’t the Fire Lord here for himself.”

Ty Lee grinned. Everything was falling into place. “He has an important meeting with the War Council today, but since I’m one of his most trusted guards he decided to send me here in his stead.” It wasn’t entirely a lie, Ty Lee  _ was  _ one of Zuko’s most trusted aids along with Suki and the other Kyoshi Warriors. The only stretch was why she came to visit Azula.

After murmuring amongst each other, the two stepped aside. “Tell the nurse why you’re here, she will get Azula up. Should be a few minutes.”

With a thankful nod, Ty Lee entered the asylum for the second time. Daiyu and Jiao had ushered the group inside without extensive security checks, but now a chain gate separated her from the red carpet that previously led her around the building. 

The doors shut firm behind her, startling Ty Lee as she stepped closer to the nurse’s desk. It was a woman, young and pretty who looked more Earth Kingdom than she did Fire Nation. Brown hair curled in a bob at her shoulders while the light-red nurse’s uniform contrasted the green in her eyes. With a skeptical look, she raised a brow as Ty Lee entered. “Name?”

“Ty Lee,” she said with a slight perk. “I’m here on the orders of the Fire Lord to see Azula.” The nurse leaned back in her seat. Ty Lee assumed she was the only one who could open and close the gate.

“Again?” The nurse frowned. Ty Lee read the tag on her clothes to reveal her name as Misaki. With a halfhearted sigh, the nurse pressed a button on her desk, sending the gate sliding out of the way. With another button push, Misaki muttered into the intercom, “We have a visitor here sent by the Fire Lord. Bring Azula to visitation.” After her voice drowned out, she beckoned with her head for Ty Lee to enter. As soon as the acrobat stepped onto the red carpet, the gate slammed back where it was. 

She remembered where to go from before, moving down the long hallways and ending up in the visitation center before Azula came in. Another group of guards followed her in, standing alert in each corner anticipating the deranged princess to attack as she did before. Ty Lee wasn’t expecting much different either. As she took a seat in the familiar chairs, her hands fidgeted underneath the table. Oh how different she may have looked after just a day apart.

Waiting was a game of torture. Why was it taking so long for them to bring her out? Maybe it was an elaborate plan crafted to make her even more scared. Maybe Azula set this all up, knew she was coming and purposely delayed her entrance to make Ty Lee’s thoughts run panicked and wild. She wanted her to suffer, even without her presence. Unconsciously she bit her lip, scared, and accidentally drew blood.  _ Shit _ , she hissed internally, and pressed a damp finger on the area hoping the blood wouldn’t attract any attention from the guards.

The pain wasn’t sharp, but it sure was present. With everything going wrong already, maybe this wasn’t the right thing to do.

***

Azula didn’t know. She didn’t know she would finally get a cell with a roommate, she didn’t know her only time of rest was going to be interrupted by a group of reckless guards, and she most certainly didn’t know her old friend Ty Lee was going to stop by for a visit early in the morning.

After dinner the night before, guards had escorted Azula to a cell other than what she had before. It was still cold, but the bars on the outside allowed some heat to filter in. She was shackled when thrown in as normal, but instead of being muzzled she was allowed an open mouth and exposed face. Her roommate was asleep by the time she was thrown in, and she didn’t wake up at the noise. Almost as soon as she stepped inside were her arms unbound and the cell door was shut. She took the opportunity to get some true rest for the first time in the months she had arrived.

Unfortunately, the guards had to ruin it. 

“Get up.” Azula felt someone pull her off her bed, causing the princess to fall hard onto the cold cell floor. She tasted metallic blood in her mouth, warm and bitter upon her tongue, but thought it unwise to fight back. It was a masculine voice, not one that fit the persona of her timid and lethargic companion, so only she could assume it was a guard. “You have a visitor.”

“Has my brother come back for another show?” she muttered whilst standing. The guard didn’t reply, yanking her hands away and clasping the cold shackles on her wrist. Azula bit back her pain, swallowing it with the pride she once had.

She was led by two burly men down the hallway and into the same visitation room that she had only occupied hours before. Azula was expecting to see her scarred and regretful brother nervously awaiting her arrival, but instead was only greeted by her former friend in her Kyoshi Warrior uniform. The surprise that crossed her face was quick and almost immediately buried under a neutral expression. With her friend’s natural talent of reading people, it was unlikely she missed the change.

The guards pushed her into the chair opposite her old friend. Azula knew how piercing her glare was, and for Ty Lee in particular her golden gaze used to always work in exposing secrets or hidden information. Unlike how she previously kept her eyes cast down with her brother, she stared intently at the girl across from her. The act she was playing had to be convincing.

“Azula…” Ty Lee went to reach her hands out and grab her own, but stopped as the princess brought forth her shackled wrists. She raised an eyebrow, daring Ty Lee to continue in a way that reminded her of a challenge.

“You should be thankful I was forced here against my own will,” Azula huffed. She tilted her head away from her friend and looked off to the side. “I would have never agreed to meet with you alone if it wasn’t for my stripped freedom.”

The girl across from her swallowed, scooting her chair closer to the table. Azula turned her head back to face her. Ty Lee opened her mouth, but fearful of what she was going to say Azula interrupted. “Why did my brother send you here, anyway, instead of coming himself? Was he too  _ scared  _ to see his little sister all alone? Worried I might use my firebending?” The guards at the corners stiffened, one Azula noted reaching for his weapon at his side. She smirked, their responses encouraging her thoughts of still being a weapon of fear.

Ty Lee kept her voice low. “Zuko didn’t send me here. I came because I wanted to see you.”

“You saw me before,” Azula murmured. This time, her voice wasn’t hostile. “And it’s not like you ever came to visit me when I was in a cell.”

The princess looked down at the table. Her voice was low, hoarse and sad, and Ty Lee wondered how often she counted the days in prison, yearning to be free and run rampant in the world. “I was scared,” Ty Lee confessed. “I still am.”

“Then why won’t you run?”

_ Because I know who you are deep inside.  _ The Azula who was so close to killing Mai, who banished a servant for feeding her cherries with pits, who nearly killed Zuko and Katara during their Agni Kai, was a fractured version of her true nature. Some of the traits she will always live with, like her manipulation and cunning, but the broken mental state that once was is not all of Azula. It was only a part of her that made Ty Lee truly frightened. 

Azula leaned back in her seat. Too much emotion for the both of them, especially here and now, was never a good thing. “Your lip is bleeding,” she observed with a hardened look. 

Ty Lee ignored her. “I’m getting you out of here.” Azula’s gaze flitted to the guards around the room, watching their reactions and movements to see if they heard. “I can’t see you like this, here. Even Zuko says it's inhumane.”

“What does he know about humanity? He imprisoned our own father.”

“Azula, you know Ozai was cruel and psychotic.”

“And I’m not?”

The acrobat, taken aback by Azula’s continued sense of realism, paused. “I think you’re broken, and I think it’s because you’re angry. I can see it in your aura.”

Azula scoffed. “I thought my aura was the brightest pink you’ve ever seen.”

“You’re mad at Mai because she betrayed you,” Ty Lee continued, “and you’re mad at me because I stopped you.”

“Of course I am!” Azula’s fists, shackled, slammed hard onto the table. Ty Lee didn’t shrink away, despite her brain and body willing with all their might for her to do so. Noticing her emotions were getting the best of her, Azula closed her eyes and leaned back into the seat, taking in a sharp breath. “I should have known never to trust anyone but myself.”

“You know that’s not true.” Ty Lee was finally getting to her roots. The old Azula was coming out. “If you really wanted to kill Mai, you would have. Chi-blocked or not.”

Gears were turning inside her head, and Azula wasn’t sure how to respond. Ty Lee wanted to help her escape without Azula’s manipulation and charm affecting her. “Where do you think I deserve to be, if not here?” Her voice was softer now, less fueled by rage and more so by curiosity. 

Ty Lee frowned. “I don’t know,” she admitted carefully. Azula ate weakness as if it gave her power, and although she tried to make herself seem as confident as possible, there was no possible way to escape the girl’s question. “You still need help.”

That caused Azula to grimace. Ty Lee heard the shackles over her hands rattle as she moved them, unable to reach them all the way across the table where she wanted. “I’m not going to light a city on fire, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

And so the girl in the Kyoshi uniform laughed, a small sound that reminded Azula of a time when they were both young, sweet, and happy.  _ Was I ever happy?  _ Instead of looking at her friend, the princess flicked her gaze towards the guards who had brought her, both of which seemed less focused on them at the moment, and more on a hushed conversation they were having amongst themselves. The figures looming in each corner of the room seemed too tired and disinterested to care about the girls. As Ty Lee’s laughter faded, Azula’s eyes moved back to meet hers.

“I don’t need your help,” she muttered, her voice dry.

Ty Lee grimaced at the sudden shift in tone. “Even if you manage to get out of here by yourself, you won’t be able to leave the island. Unless, you’ve learned how to swim long distances in freezing cold water.”

“I’m not alone.” Seeing Ty Lee quirk a brow, Azula could sense her revelation as the girl’s eyes lit up. “Even after all those years in the Palace dungeon, my charm still remained. I was just lucky my dear brother brought me to an asylum. With people.” 

There was a pause from the girl across from her, and then a low voice. “You know I can’t stop you. You’re too stubborn and prideful for that.” Azula heard a chair screech across the floor, and in front of her Ty Lee stood up. Out of the corner of her eye, the two guards fell silent and looked towards them. Those along the corners moved closer. “If you’re still mad, then fine. I’m only trying to help because… Because I know the Azula I knew when we were girls is still in there.”

Azula watched her walk out of the room, the muscular guards that brought her inside watching as she glided down the hallway with a strange poise, while the four along the wall followed her. She still carried that perky-and-innocent façade that made boys and girls unable to pull their eyes away. Azula rolled her eyes, seeing the guards and their perverted stares. The girl rocked her chair back and pulled her arms forward, causing the shackles to ring and leading the guards to turn towards her. Almost immediately did they remember their jobs and drag her back down the hallway to her cell, to which Azula only sighed.

_ I’m only trying to help _ , she had told her.

She was thrusted inside the cell and stumbled forward, hearing the barred barrier slam behind her. The still body of her sleeping cellmate was sprawled in the lower bunk, likely unmoving since she had been dragged to see Ty Lee. The princess climbed up to the top bed and stared up at the ceiling.

_ Help _ .

This was the first time since her friend’s betrayal that she finally believed her.


End file.
